Shattered Realities: Broken
by VanguardThorne
Summary: Alexander Strauss and Michael Shen are the survivors of a war that has left mankind on the precipice of extinction. But, when they are visited by the mysterious Oracle, they are offered the opportunity to find out why mankind was destroyed and avenge their people. With nothing to lose but their lives, they saw no choice but to accept. T for now, but will explore dark themes.
1. Prologue: The Seven Hours War

Shattered Realities

Book One: Broken

by Kyle Mason

"_If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans."_

_Stephen Hawking_

Prologue: The Seven Hours War

Humanity never developed faster than light travel. In fact, humanity never made it to Mars. At the height of our civilization, we were still divided into feuding nations without any hope of repelling an extraterrestrial invasion. The world leaders were given an ultimatum by an unseen threat from the stars at the end of the second decade in the twenty first century. Every radio program and television broadcast was interrupted by the Message:

**The forces of the universe bend to our will. Relinquish your form to us, and embrace perfection. Resist, and your people shall be denied Ascension.**

The governments of Earth believed the Message to be a hoax designed to spread fear among their populations. However, they quickly figured out that the signal didn't originate from anywhere on surface of Earth, but made the effort to hide this from the people. They silently mobilized their soldiers, claiming they were simply preparing in case this 'terrorist' attempted to stage any kind of attack on civilians while they searched for him. Anyone with half a brain knew that they were lying through their teeth. The Great Panic had begun.

Everyone and their mother had the same idea: run to any place that sells food, supplies, and weapons, grab whatever you can, and get the hell out of dodge. Every route out of the city was completely backed up, which was the result of _everyone _fleeing _everywhere _at the same time. It was more efficient to grab whatever you could carry and walk to the middle of nowhere. But when you live in a materialistic society, leaving something like a car behind is nearly impossible to do, even when your life is on the line. And so, everything remained gridlocked, people unaware that the threat was looming right over their heads. At 9:38 PM, on December 15th, 2018… the Seven Hours War had begun.

**The Arrival**

**9:38 PM: **Alien forces arrived at nearly every major populated area on Earth, their massive ships causing immense amounts of damage just by landing within the vicinity. They appeared to be far more advanced than us, capable of destroying towering skyscrapers with the swat of a hand. Reports across the globe displayed uniform appearances for the invaders, leading us to believe that this was the bulk of their forces. For the time being, they remained silent, as if waiting for us to strike first. Crackling fields of red energy announced when and where they were landing, giving civilians and military personnel advanced warning to flee.

**9:44 PM**: The US Air Force was the first to strike the aliens, although many other nations followed their lead moments later. The world was still connected in every respect - television, internet, radio - so the coordinated strikes all happened within seconds of each other. Everyone was expecting the ultimate doomsday scenario in which an invisible force would stop their attacks from even reaching the vessels themselves. Although the missiles successfully struck the alien spacecraft, it had no visible impact on their vastly superior alloy composition.

**9:51 PM: **In the wake of global airstrikes and offensive movements, the supposed leader of the invaders sent out another message that was once again broadcasted over every type of media:

**You have made your choice. You have been rejected for Ascension. Face your annihilation.**

Immediately, the world's' militaries attempted to entrench themselves into defensive positions, dreading the moment that the invaders began their assault.

**9:52 PM: **Not moments after their damnation of mankind, the invaders began their assault on the panicked militaries. Their plan seemed to revolve around causing as much collateral damage as possible, tearing down skyscrapers and targeting important regions of infrastructure. Our weapons failed to deal any real damage against their superior armor and weapons.

**10:05 PM: **In just over ten minutes since the beginning of the alien offensive, much of Earth's sprawling cities lay in ruins from the sustained assault. More and more ships continued to land, causing the sky to constantly be lit up with the bright red lightning that signaled their arrival. In such a short span of time, Earth had been transformed into a hellish warzone that left no region untouched. Behind the vanguard of bigger vessels, small troop transports and processing ships began to land behind enemy lines.

**10:11 PM: **After several minutes of inactivity, the troop transports released their cargo across the world. Terrible mutated creatures with gray flesh and blue cybernetics began to wage a horrific ground war against the overwhelmed armies of Earth, setting them into a state of constant retreat. The massive ships continued their barrage of destruction against mankind while their twisted amalgamations began to hunt people down, military and civilian alike.

**10:30 PM: **It had yet to reach the first hour of the invasion when the militaries of the world were able to evaluate their progress against the far superior forces that had invaded their planet. Fierce urban brawls had broken out between the entrenched human forces and the far numerous swarms of mutated husks. Far bigger enemy troops appeared behind the smaller husks, but human weapons proved to be semi-effective against them as opposed to the nearly indestructible ships that plagued the skyline.

**10:47 PM: **Although the invaders had dominated the air since their arrival, the last of the aerial vehicles used by the nations of Earth were destroyed despite the fact that they were used as scouts rather than their previous assumed roles of combat. Any attempts to use helicopters to evacuate civilians and military troops resulted in annihilation by invader anti-air vessels known as Hunter-Killers.

**11:19 PM: **Communication between countries via radio broadcasts and satellites was the only thing allowing the nations of Earth to coordinate a counter offensive against the invaders. However, at this point, the satellites were hacked into by the invader forces that remained in orbit, positioning themselves for orbital bombardment. The only time the invaders let communications through was when it was to report major losses for human forces as a demoralizing technique. Soldiers were still able to maintain communication with their central command at this point.

**Fall of Nations**

**11:39 PM: **The connection to other leaders was the only thing keeping some restrained in the use of weapons of mass destruction. The President of Russia, at this time, authorizes the use of a single nuclear missile in an attempt to destroy the invading forces. Moscow was one of the most devastated regions throughout the conflict so far, and the terrain of Russia was actually working against them as opposed to vice versa throughout history. The missile is directed at an invader processing vessel in Moscow, bathing the city in nuclear fire. Those who hadn't escaped the city limits yet were vaporized. It had the successful effect of destroying the processing ship - the point defense systems weren't prepared for nuclear missiles this early into the conflict - but the sturdier troop transporting ships and offensive vessels were unaffected.

**11:40 PM: **The nuclear facility where the nuclear warhead was launched in Russia is bombarded from orbit by the invaders. This forces the militaries of Earth who actually possess nuclear weapons to enforce an 'all-or-nothing' policy in regards to the use of nuclear weapons. As soon as one missile is fired, the location in which they are fired from is destroyed.

**11:56 PM: **The island nation of Japan, having endured a long era of peace and nonviolence, is unable to appropriately respond to the invaders' attacks on their infrastructure. The other nations of Earth have received very few transmissions from Japan detailing defeat, as they were from other countries. The only communication they received was when someone reports that the Emperor and the Prime Minister of Japan are found dead within the House of Representatives in Tokyo, both of them having apparently committed suicide. In the chaos of the war, no line of succession is able to be drawn, and the National Diet is dissolved. Japan has fallen to the invaders, and they collapse.

**12:21 AM: **France, one of the most prominent countries in Europe, faces enormous numbers of invaders within their borders. People attempt to flee into the countryside, but the invaders have set up roadblocks in numerous cities. Paris has become a slaughterhouse as husks round people up for processing in the center of the city. People decided to run into the catacombs beneath Paris to seek refuge, but the husks were able to follow them in. Even though they face perhaps the largest amount of invader vessels within their borders, the French Government is far more successful than most of their neighbors at organizing a resistance effort. They manage to keep the streets of several cities clear of enemy infantry, making escape for civilians a very real possibility. They are unable to counter the massive machines destroying the downtown regions, despite their limited success in outmaneuvering them in urban warfare.

**12:32 AM: **Eyewitness accounts of what happened next were reported to all major countries around the world. All at once, invader vessels in France uprooted themselves from their positions on the surface, retreating back into Earth's orbit. Then, as described by the witnesses, a massive "Pillar of Death" ripped a hole in the sky as it descended onto the center of France. Even those who managed to escape the cities were unable to survive the ensuing heat wave that consumed the countryside. It is assumed that, due to the French Government's relative success in combating the husks outside of Paris, the invaders deemed the sustained invasion cost too high and resorted to orbital bombardment instead. The center of resistance in Orléans is obliterated in the blast, and the French Government is presumed dead.

**12:35 AM: **Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, is perhaps the only capital city yet to fall at this point in the conflict with the invaders. Their ability to quickly mobilize the People's Liberation Army with a draft allows them to match the invaders in sheer numbers. However, after throwing soldier after soldier at the enemy, the Chinese Government realizes that they are simply bolstering the invaders' ground forces. They submit the city to invader control and relocate to Nanjing to continue coordinating the defense effort from there.

**12:54 AM: **The German Army recognizes that holding on to Berlin will only cost them - in both resources and manpower. Deeming their capital as a lost cause, they had retreated towards their western border with France. The French were obliterated nearly fifteen minutes prior, so the German Military Command incorrectly assumed that there were no invader forces to worry about from their western flank. A small strike force of troop transports and offensive vessels landed at the Rhine, sandwiching the German forces between them and the invaders advancing from the ruins of Berlin.

**1:13 AM: **In every war, there are those who believe that siding with the enemy as they overtake your own country's military will spare you from the same fate, and this war is no exception. Invader sympathizers - these ones fully within their right mind - discovered the location of the Chinese Government-in-Exile in Nanjing and relayed this information to the offensive vessels nearby in the hopes of being rewarded with Ascension. They weren't. The Invaders deemed a strategic assault against Nanjing too costly, as the Chinese would without a doubt authorize a nuclear strike against whatever they could. Instead, they decided to level Nanjing much in the same way they did to the French, causing yet another tear in the sky as they propelled a tungsten projectile at a fraction of the speed of light from orbit. The People's Republic of China, without anyway to execute the laws of succession, succumbed to the invaders.

**1:39 AM: **Staying true to the 'all-or-nothing' policy they enacted when they first launched a warhead, the Russian Federation prepares all of the nuclear missiles still within their control for one last strike. They've been unable to hold any form of defensive line against the invaders, and casualties were extremely high. The President authorizes the use of all nuclear weapons, and they coordinate it to strike the line the invaders had created on their approach into Eastern Russia. Very few missiles hit their targets as the invaders use point-defense turrets to disarm or destroy the missiles before they hit, but some were successful. Several invader ships were destroyed in the attack, earning the scorn of their forces still in orbit. Eastern Russia was bombarded from orbit, rendering northern Asia and eastern Europe completely uninhabitable. Portions of the Russian Federation were annihilated by their own nuclear blasts, but those that weren't were erased from existence by the orbital bombardment.

**1:49 AM: **After an hour of conflict, the President of the United States was offered an opportunity to meet with the leader of the invaders to discuss a peace treaty between them and the USA. He agreed out of necessity, and he finally returned at this point in time. He orders an emergency session in Congress, and they meet to discuss this 'treaty.' The President orders all military personnel to stand down and face judgment from the invaders, as that is the only way they can survive. He is labeled as indoctrinated by his peers, and a senator deemed him unfit for duty and shot him. Half of Congress stood up in outrage, saying that the President was right. The other half, who were still in their right mind, declared their coworkers to be indoctrinated as well. Those who maintained their own will put aside their political beliefs and worked together against the indoctrinated congressmen. A massive brawl between the congressmen broke out, rendering the United States Government ineffective.

**1:58 AM: **The German Military had been fighting against two fronts of husks and offensive vessels for nearly an hour before they succumbed to their superior numbers and firepower. The German Government-in-Exile was forced to flee to Munich after the destruction of their military. They coordinated a resistance effort among the population there, but there simply wasn't enough people, guns, or supplies for it to make a difference against the invaders. They were deemed insignificant by the invaders, and most offensive craft left Germany to reinforce other fronts while troop transports and processing vessels cleaned up the last of the resistance. Eventually, the German Government is discovered and killed, and with morale so low, no one even attempts to find the person next in the line of succession.

**2:06 AM: **The Invaders, early on into their campaign on Earth, had refused to deem Africa as a viable threat to their efforts. They sent a few offensive vessels and troop transports to South Africa and the northern African Nations, but it was more of an afterthought. With mainland Europe proving to be far more resistant to the invaders than anticipated - but not too resistant, mind you - the invaders relocated the African forces back into Europe. Those still in orbit then decided to not leave anything up to chance and proceeded to bombard northern and southern Africa. Transmissions from Africa were sparse from here on out.

**The Judgment of Earth**

**2:16 AM: **With the conclusion of the Congressional Brawl on the floor of the capitol building, the last of the sane US congressmen were unable to do anything that would benefit their country in their darkest hour. They broadcasted one final message to all troops out there, telling them to never stop fighting. Then, with the end of that transmission, the United States of America ceased to exist. Washington D.C was bombarded from orbit in an attempt for the invaders to reverse the effect the message had on the morale of the American soldiers, but it was not successful. The fight to hold onto cities in the continental US continued, despite the grave situation they were in.

**2:51 AM: **South America was one of the few continents to not face an initial force landing on their shores. Brazil was supplying soldiers to the United States and Mexico to continue their fight, but when the soldiers returned saying the invaders had won in the north, South America prepared for the worst. The truth was the Brazilian soldiers had walked straight into a forward operating base for the invaders and were indoctrinated by the offensive vessels. They were sent back south and used as insurgents against the Brazilian government. A coup is staged by the indoctrinated rebels, and the Brazilian government is crippled beyond repair. When the invaders arrived with support vessels like the processors and the troop transports, the path had already been paved and the war had already been won.

**3:10 AM: **After hours of relocation, the United Kingdom parliament is finally discovered in the Scottish Highlands by the invaders. With nowhere else left to run, the United Kingdom government opted to make one final stand against the invaders. Their resistance forces try to keep the husks back, but an indoctrinated agent successfully infiltrates their lines and manages to assassinate the Prime Minister. The line of succession is unable to be executed in the chaos, as the British military collapses following the Prime Minister's death. The rest of the UK Parliament is slaughtered by the husks, and the UK itself ceases to exist.

**3:47 AM: **Fierce fighting on the Iberian Peninsula has been raging since the invaders first landed, although they were far weaker than their European counterparts and thus had to deal with less invaders. However, with the destruction of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, the might of the invader army came to bear against the Iberians. Spain and Portugal had initially planned to stage a massive retreat into northern Africa, but with the orbital bombardments that had occurred just under two hours earlier, that was no longer an option. The Spanish Government surrendered to the invaders, and were summarily executed shortly after. The Portuguese government, initially intending to do the same, chose to kill themselves as opposed to the fate that befell those who surrender.

**3:52 AM: **Italy was one of the most well-defended locations in the world during the war against the invaders. The northern mountains were difficult for the invaders to traverse without having to take off back into orbit and land on the inside of their borders. Instead, the invaders landed within the Mediterranean and slowly marched into the mainland from beneath the sea's waves, pillaging the coast until they reached the Italian capital. Rome proved to be a challenge, despite the far superior and numerous invader forces, but eventually, they succeeded and Rome was burned.

**4:20 AM: **The International Space Station, as some sort of sick and cruel joke on the part of the invaders, had survived throughout the war. The invaders had surrounded the primitive station and forced them to watch helplessly as their world was burned. They attempted to record one last message to see if anyone had survived the invasion, but it was futile. They grew fearful when they heard scratching at the access hatch, concerned that some terrible alien creature would break in and rip them all apart. The threat actually came from within, as one of the crew members had become indoctrinated and heard the whispering of the invaders. The crew recognized this and had pushed him to the far corner of the room they were locked in. He continually updated them with the status of their homeworld throughout the conflict, until finally, he opened the access hatch. This caused all people within the space station to be ejected out into the darkness of space without any equipment. Then, finally, the invaders destroyed the ISS and sent its corpse spiraling back to Earth, where it landed ten miles out from Phoenix, Arizona.

**4:38 AM: **For a single moment, the war that had been raging for the past seven hours came to a complete halt. Mankind and all of its glory had been bested by the invaders for reasons unknown. In the wake of the apocalypse, the invaders sent one last message out to the very few men and women who had managed to survive the duration of the war.

**You are no longer relevant. Your extinction is assured. **

**We are the Harbinger of your destruction.**

Shattered Realities

Book One: Broken

* * *

><p>Note: All times described are in Pacific Standard Time. All world leaders shall remain nameless due to the fact that I have no idea who will be in charge in 2018. The events described are merely the important ones that shaped the course of the war; the invaders were present in every major city and many minor cities and performed similar actions as to those described in the timeline. If you want to know what happened to your specific location, it was more than likely completely destroyed. Enjoy.<p>

The majority of Shattered Realities will not take place on Ruined Earth, as the planet is to now be referred to. However, it's existence shall play a major role in the early and late portions of the story. Also, Congressional Brawls are badass. That is all.

End Communication.


	2. Chapter 1: The Hollow

Shattered Realities

Book One: Broken

by Kyle Mason

"_Survival is not about being fearless. It's about making a decision, getting on and doing it, because I want to see my kids again, or whatever the reason might be." _

_-Bear Grylls_

Chapter One: The Ultimatum

**Phoenix City Limits, Ruined Earth**

**Ten Months after the S.H.W.**

**Alexander Strauss**

There was nothing but darkness all around, so thick that I couldn't see my hands in front of my face. To be honest, I wasn't even sure I still _had _hands, seeing as how all attempts to move them resulted in failure. This wasn't the usual darkness that comes when the sun goes down and night descends upon the world. This was something far more sinister, as if it literally drained you of life.

_This has to be a dream,_ I thought to myself as I continued my fruitless struggle against my invisible chains. It felt as if the shadows were stifling me, pressing up against my sides to crush the very life out of me. The more I struggled, the stronger their press grew. The beginnings of claustrophobia began to set in, and I tried to slow down my heart rate by breathing deeply and slowly. "Freaking out is just going to make things worse," I whispered, gulping down as much oxygen as I could. As I relaxed, the grip the darkness had over me began to slowly reduce it's strength.

_You are a mere insect,_ came the sound of a highly synthesized voice, carried across the darkness like a leaf in the wind. It almost danced it's way to my ears, as if it's owner was the one manipulating the shadows that consisted of my prison. The voice sent shivers down my spine, bringing back memories of the day the Message came. I shook the thought from my head; the Walkers don't _talk _to you, they fire _lasers _at you. Clearly, this was some kind of scenario designed by my brain. _You have interfered in things beyond your comprehension. _

"Dude, I'm just trying to take a nap," I replied with a small grin. The shadows dramatically increased their grip over me, forcing me to expel all of the oxygen I had gathered. I was stunned for a few moments, struggling to breathe after the extreme pressure was put on my lungs. A small light appeared several hundred meters in front of me, temporarily capturing my gaze as I once again tried to capture more oxygen. My head was throbbing with pain, denied the air it needed to operate. I thought that, at one point, I might pass out. The grip the shadows had on me loosened to compensate, granting me more breathing room.

A silhouette emerged from the light ahead, slowly making its way towards me. It seemed slightly frantic, as if it didn't know where it was. I continued to breathe heavily, the headache no longer pounding as hard as it was now that I had supplied everything with the necessary air. The figure was no more than ten meters away by the time I was able to focus on it, and the face was one I couldn't ever forget, no matter how hard I tried. "...Alex?"

"Victoria," I managed to spit, trying to mask the venom in my voice as much as possible. "What do you want?" I asked, not to her, but rather to the voice that had spoken earlier. Obviously, this was a ploy to torture me, to break me for some insidious plot.

"What do you mean?" the woman responded, confused at my request.

"What. Do. You. _WANT?!_" I roared in anger, thrashing in my shadowy bonds in an attempt to break free. Much to my surprise, they receded from my struggle, dropping me to my knees. "You think you can _break _me? You think you can control me with _illusions? _Quit hiding in the shadows, you cowards!" I shouted, although it came out as a hoarse cry. The message, however, was still received, that I could tell.

"Alex, where are we?" Victoria asked, approaching me slowly, her hand extended to help me up. When I finally had enough energy, I swatted her hand away and stood up, backing away quickly.

"She… is _dead_," I hissed, pointing an accusatory finger towards the woman. "You insult her, _witch! _Taking her form like that! And so I ask again: what do you want?!" For a few brief moments, we stared at each other, my gaze filled with contempt, hers with confusion. I knew that, eventually, the ruse would break. It had to.

"Fine." I let out a breath of relief, although I have no idea why. It would have been much better for us all if she had simply been alive instead of… _this_. Her eyes began to glow blue, a familiar trait similar to that of the mindless husks that roam the streets and countryside. It had worried me for months that she befell the same fate as other people killed during the Great Panic. "You humans are extremely resilient, I'll give you that."

I started to breathe heavily again, this time out of anger as opposed to necessity. I wanted to strike the twisted figure down, reduce it to a pile of synthetic skin and bones. I could never do it, though, not with that form. And it knew that. "Do I need to repeat myself a third time, or are you going to start giving me some answers?" I growled softly, although she… it… still appeared to hear me.

"Tell me, Alex," the figure said as she began to pace in front of me, placing her hands behind her back. The more I watched her, the more I began to notice that she wasn't a woman at all; white skin began to gray, and her short blonde hair fell out. "Do you know why we attacked Earth?" The more she spoke, the more her voice changed from the soft, gentle voice of Victoria to the synthesized drone I had heard earlier.

"I'm sure you meant to open up diplomatic negotiations, but it got lost in translation somewhere along the way," I replied, no longer holding back the venom in my voice.

"Cute." Suddenly, the shadowy tendrils returned once again, crushing me in the now so-familiar grip that had imprisoned me earlier. "Mankind is a threat. Not only to yourselves, but to the universe as a whole. Rather than deal with you when you possess the abilities to stop us, we looked to… _other _means of pacifying your people."

Every breath was a labored one, and the headache from earlier returned as I realized that the oxygen I was getting definitely wasn't enough. I tried to curse at her, but every modicum of air was too precious to waste on petty insults.

"Now, with the annoyance that is the human race out of the picture, the cycle shall continue," the figure continued. At this point, all traces of Victoria was gone. In her place was a husk with some subtle differences. It wasn't hunched over like they usually are, but instead it stood tall - taller than most humans. It's cybernetics were… I'm not sure how to describe it, really. Normally, a husk looks like it was put together in seconds, just barely being held together by its own parts. This, however, looked more clean-cut, as if time and effort were actually spent on augmenting this husk. It's face wasn't locked in an ever-present scream, but rather it was free of cybernetics, allowing it to communicate verbally. It's chest wasn't ripped apart, hiding the rib cage that you could normally see on a standard husk.

"What… are you?" I just barely managed to squeak out through the strangle hold I was held in. The figure looked at me, surprised that I was struggling to breathe.

"Oh, of course." With a wave of the hand, the tendrils once again released me, resulting in the even more precious oxygen to flood my lungs. "I forgot to release you after your annoying outburst earlier, my apologies." The strange creature began to pace, much as Victoria had been doing prior to her transformation. "What I am matters not. All that does matter is that I come bearing a message."

"From… who?" I asked in between gasps.

"From my masters," it replied vaguely. "I'm sure you can figure out who they are relatively easily." As it said this, it gestured to it's familiar form as if I were an idiot. "Shall I give you the message, or are we going to continue playing twenty questions?"

I slowly stood up, my heart rate having stabilized for the time being. I decided to hold my tongue when it came to the snippy comments; I was particularly fond of breathing at the moment, and saying anything to bring the crushing force of darkness back upon me wasn't too appealing at the moment. "You know, this would have been easier for all of us if you had simply answered my question at the beginning. What do you want?"

The creature, once it knew I was willing to cooperate for the time being, smiled at me. It was a hideously disturbing grin that would haunt me forever - despite the smooth gray skin that ran across its face, the teeth underneath were still broken into shards, and it's tongue was sliced down the middle. "It's simple, really. When you awake, a man by the name of the Oracle will approach your pathetic settlement. Kill him. It doesn't matter how or when, just kill him. If you fail, we will reduce everything you hold dear to ash."

"Already did that, I'm afraid," I muttered under my breath before I could stop myself. The darkness returned, and the creature bared its teeth. I was tossed up into the air like a rag doll, only to be caught by some unseen force and thrown back down. I slammed into the black flooring with a loud crack, forcing me to emit a yelp of pain.

"Kill the Oracle!" the creature hissed, picking me up by the collar of my shirt and pulling me up to eye level. I was limp, and it managed to pull me completely off the ground, taking me by surprise with its incredible strength. "Or the Hollow will _burn_. Understood?" I could only nod in response, I was caught off guard by it's fearsome show of strength. "Good. Understand that disobeying us can only result in more pain… for all of us." The creature set me down back on the ground and began to walk back towards the light where it had first walked from.

"Who is the Oracle?" I asked in a last ditch effort to gather information. It was obvious that our meeting was drawing to a close, and I still had far too many questions.

"He is someone you may find familiar, yet completely different. An anomaly, a stranger in both his own time as well as another. He shouldn't exist. _You _must rectify that," it explained without turning its head.

"That means absolutely nothing to me," I replied angrily, trying to pursue the cryptic monstrosity.

"And, if you should succeed, it never will," it answered. "Wake up, Alex. Wake up… _and smell the ashes._"

* * *

><p>I shot up in my bed, gasping for air as if I had been in some kind of death grip. I had kicked off the blanket used to keep me warm last night and had broken out into a cold sweat. I stood up, trying to recall what had set me on edge. All at once, the memories of the dream flooded my mind - the Victoria illusion, the strange husk, the ultimatum. If, somehow, the invaders had managed to indoctrinate me, I was a danger to everyone around me. I decided that, before acting on anything, I had to talk to Shen. A simple glance at my watch told me it was 5:34 AM, two hours before I was expected to get up for the day. Though it was still early, Shen should be up by now. He was an early bird kind of guy.<p>

I made my way over to the bathroom and went to the bucket on the far side of the room. It had been refilled since yesterday, the water as clean as it gets in this wasteland. I plunged my hands in and brought water up to my face, allowing the room-temperature liquid to run down my face and back into the bucket. I instantly felt more awake than I had previously, but still, the events of the previous night left me unnerved. We've had indoctrinated refugees in the Hollow, and it never ended well for anyone involved. We've had to relocate camp several times to avoid the invaders' wrath due to the indoctrinated, and it's a miracle that there's still people to protect.

I left the ruined building that had been transformed into a temporary barracks and entered a small courtyard area. We'd been here longest - Captain Ducard, leader of the US Marine detachment that offered their protection to the refugees, was growing concerned that we've been here for too long - and had managed to construct meager defenses in a decent sized perimeter. The barracks had been empty, aside from myself of course, due to the fact that Lieutenant Winters, Ducard's second in command, had taken the troops out to patrol the surrounding countryside for alien activity two nights ago. They were due back next week, if I recalled correctly.

On the opposing side of the courtyard from the barracks was another ruined building, although slightly more intact than the former. At the top of the doorway leading into the building was a cross, signaling that this was the designated chapel for the Hollow. I walked over to the door and knocked three times. I waited for a few moments, and no answer came. I jiggled the doorknob, and it revealed that the door was open. I found that odd, as the sun wasn't even up yet. I opened it, cautious of what was occurring on the other side of the doorway.

Michael Shen, dressed in his casual attire of a torn black t-shirt and ratty denim jeans, was conversing with a woman whom I recognized from the civilian camp. She appeared to be in tears, and Shen was consoling her as best as he could. He whispered something into her ear, and she nodded in response. I couldn't tell what they were talking about, but it seemed serious. I felt bad eavesdropping on their conversation, so I announced my presence. "Shen, I'm really sorry to interrupt this, but we've got to talk."

The woman looked at me in surprise, and I quickly offered an apology. "Thank you, Father Michael, for your help. When can I come back?"

"I'm always available to those who need me," Shen replied with a warm smile. "Get some rest. If any of the civilian leaders give you any trouble, tell them to talk to me. Take the day off."

"Thank you, Father," she said before making her exit. There was a small moment of silence between us as she left the chapel.

"It continues to amaze me how many people find solace in religion given everything that has happened," I whispered just loud enough so that Shen could hear me.

"I think we need something to believe in, now more than ever," Shen answered my rhetorical question as he sat down in a bench that was repurposed as a pew. "Lieutenant Winters radioed back late last night. They found an alien patrol escorting some kind of artifact. They ambushed them, successfully obtaining the artifact. There were casualties, however." Shen looked at me with a solemn expression. "Her son had volunteered for the scouting mission. He wasn't a soldier, he just wanted to do his part for the Hollow. Now she'll never see him again."

"War is a terrible thing, Shen," I said, sitting down across from him. "But we are no strangers to loss. She will pull through." Shen broke out of his trance and looked at me with the same warm smile that he had used with the woman.

"It relieves me greatly to hear you say that, Alex. Now, if I recall correctly, you aren't supposed to be up until 7:30. What's on your mind?"

I sighed, putting my head between my hands. "Can't say I've got any kind of good news, to be honest. I had a dream last night. Not like the normal ones," I explained. He leaned forward intently, stroking his chin. "Shen, I'm just going to jump straight into it. Can dreams be a sign of indoctrination?"

Shen appeared to be taken off guard by this question, as he gave me a look of surprise. He's the resident Inquisitor for the Hollow, searching underneath every rock and floorboard for alien sympathizers and slaves. Making such an accusation, especially on oneself, was not to be taken lightly. "It depends on the dream, truthfully. Describe it."

"It was dark. Like, really dark. A figure… Victoria... approached me. I could tell it was a hoax from the start, recognizing it as an interrogation tactic. She morphed into this… hideous husk-like form. Much more disturbing than a normal husk, but also a lot more… civilized," I explained quickly. "The creature… it gave me an ultimatum. Kill the man known as the Oracle, or the Hollow will burn."

Shen stared at me intently, our eyes firmly locked as if we were having a staring contest. After a few moments of silence, he burst into laughter. "Alex, I hate to break it to you, but I think you just had a bad dream," he replied with a grin on his face. "I'm no psychologist or anything, but I've dealt with early-stage indoctrination. They _don't _dream, at least not in the same way we do. People that have come to me with fears of indoctrination describe nothing but darkness when they sleep, as if they are staring off into oblivion. Occasionally, they're just paranoid and continue coming to me. It's the ones that _don't _come to me afterwards that you have to worry about."

"And if this Oracle character really does show up?"

"I've got more experience dealing with indoctrination than anyone else on the entire planet," Shen replied. "If the Oracle really does show up, then it's more likely you're having prophetic visions than a case of indoctrination. It simply doesn't work like that."

"Alright," I said, not entirely convinced. "Still, keep an eye on me, okay? The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone."

"It's my job to keep an eye on everyone, Alex. I've already _been _watching you," Shen answered with a grin. "That sounded a lot creepier than it did in my head. Anyway, we've got a lot of work to do. Lieutenant Winters and the scouting party are returning sooner than anticipated due to their successful ambush against the aliens. I'm not too sure Ducard will be thrilled with his second in command, so we better get ready to play damage control."

"Sounds like today is going to be just wonderful," I muttered.

* * *

><p>Note: I am aware that the Creature quoted G-Man. Yes, it was intentional. No, the Creature is not the husk form of G-Man. That would be terrifying, and we would all be <em>doomed<em>. Yes, the Creature will be a recurring character. Alex's head will be _full_ of psychotic trans-dimensional personas whose only role is to add witty one-liners and angst rants, I _assure _you.

Questions!

**dghornick **asked: what would a congressional brawl look like as many of the congress men and women are in their 50s and 60s and some are even older . what would it look like .

That's part of the badass-ness. Imagine one of your representative, probably 65 years old, on the floor of the capitol building, wielding the nearest object they would consider a weapon. I'd wager it's probably the outrageously massive binder they use to stay organized, those things are bricks. The leader of the free world has just been shot for falling under the sway of the aliens a la X-Com. All of a sudden, all political ideologies evaporate. That senator who filibustered your bill last week? He's being mauled by what remains of the leader of that Super PAC that financed your campaign last term. You have to forgive him for his obviously _wrong _way of thinking and get him back in the fight. It's supposed to be a reflection of how Americans, and by proxy, Humans, are stubborn but willing to band together in the wake of the apocalypse.

Which is badass. I rest my case. Note, not all questions will be responded with this much of an explanation. Since **dghornick** was the only person to ask a question, I figured I could spend more time on his.

Any other questions I need to answer? Put them in a review, and I'll probably answer them in the next chapter. Probably. Official release schedule is every Monday in order to maintain a backlog. The exception to this is, of course, the prologue. That is all.

End Communication.


	3. Chapter 2: The Indoctrinated

Shattered Realities

Book One: Broken

by Kyle Mason

"_A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."_

_-Christopher Reeve_

Chapter Two: The Indoctrinated

**Phoenix City Limits, Ruined Earth**

**Ten Months after the S.H.W.**

**Alexander Strauss**

The second I entered the command center on the eastern side of the Hollow courtyard, I was thrown into a chaotic storm of curses, threats, and the occasional thrown object. On one end, you had Captain Ducard and his stoic pose, standing against the tide of insults flung at him by those under his command. On the other, you had Lieutenant Winters and the other senior members of the patrol mission that had concluded earlier than anticipated. And, in the center, you had a floating black sphere. I had to do a double take when I saw it; the sheer presence of the orb sent shivers down my spine. It was contained within a glass case, but that offered little solace as to what the device was capable of. And something else about it deeply worried me.

The longer I looked at the orb, I felt the creeping presence of the Creature from my dreams growing stronger. A specific exclamation from the argument at hand pulled my gaze away from the orb and back into the fray.

"You've got to be shitting me, Captain!" Winters shouted above the rest of his men, who were sending their own, personalized profanities towards the veteran. He slammed his fist on the table, causing the sphere to rattle in it's case.

"You disobeyed a direct order, Lieutenant," Ducard replied without faltering. "You've been on reconnaissance missions in the past, and you are well aware of the protocol that is in place to deal with alien patrols. You are _only _to engage them if they prove to be a danger to you or your squad. Not only are the Invaders now alerted to our presence in the surrounding area, but you also suffered casualties."

"We are at _war_, Captain! Sometimes I think you've forgotten that!" Winters exclaimed, leaning over the table covered with maps and notes. "Casualties are a part of war! But now, we've got something the enemy wanted. Something they found that was deemed necessary of protection!"

"I suppose you'll be the one to console the mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters of the deceased, then?" I said, announcing my presence to the rest of the room. Ducard looked over in my direction and nodded before returning his gaze to the defiant lieutenant. "I didn't think so. Whatever that artifact is capable of, the lives of those who were killed in the ambush were worth more. That isn't open to debate."

"What the hell is _he _doing here?" Winters hissed as the men behind him began to quell their urge to speak in a vulgar tongue. I was actually surprised as to how many people were on the Lieutenant's side, seeing as how Captain Ducard is widely respected, both among his troops as well as the civilian population.

"Alexander is one of the elected civilian leaders of the Hollow and represents the interests of the people," Ducard explained with a sigh, as if he's had to reiterate my position to the other soldiers for the thousandth time. I'm not surprised - Lieutenant Winters and several other of the officers seek to undermine the civilian leadership almost on principle. "His voice in military matters is just as important as yours or mine. Be satisfied that he's at least had combat experience and isn't cowering in the corner every time a husk shows up."

"Of course, I'm no military strategist," I said, jumping in once again. "So please, Lieutenant, help my feeble, civilian mind understand something. What _strategic _value does this… artifact... represent?" I could tell that Ducard wasn't thrilled that I was egging his second in command on, but I wasn't sure what he expected. Winters hated me, and I hated him; bringing me in to calm him down wasn't the brightest idea he's ever had.

Lieutenant Winters gaze locked on mine, and I could see him growing extremely irritated by my presence. It was no secret that he disliked the civilian population, believing that everyone who could hold a gun should be trained and dedicated to the war effort. Ducard, thinking of the long term, was trying to construct a system in which a war could still be waged against the Invaders without sacrificing people's way of life.

"The artifact was obviously of some strategic value to the enemy, as they had sent a large amount of troops to escort it from the center of the city," Winters answered, almost hissing his response through his teeth. "Therefore, denying the object from the Invaders was strategic value in itself, as they no longer possess it. Whatever the aliens want, we want to keep from them. That simple enough for you, civvie?"

"And so, the possibility of the object being some kind of decoy tracking device or explosive didn't come to mind?" I pointed out immediately, catching the soldier off guard by the speed in which I was able to respond. "Or maybe you underestimated how _badly _the Invaders wanted the object, and right now, they're realigning their ships in orbit to incinerate the entire region to find it? Not to mention you thought this _theoretical _strategic value was worth more than the lives of your men. Do any of _you,_" I continued, gesturing to the men standing behind him, "think your lives are worth that paperweight? Because Winters does."

"Alex has a point, Winters," Ducard said, jumping in once again to prevent another outburst from the Lieutenant's followers. "You've put the entire civilian population in danger. It may be too late to even _consider_ relocating; the Invaders could very well be on their way right now to take back what you stole. You've put the entire Hollow in jeopardy."

"This is fucking ridiculous, Captain," Winters leveled, lowering his voice to a harsh whisper. "The Invaders wouldn't dare attempt an orbital strike if they wanted the damn thing intact. And so what if it is a tracking device! Let them come. We've got the Gate for a reason! No husk is getting into the civilian areas without a bullet in their skull," he said with a snarl spreading across his face, clearly directed towards me.

"I'd like to hear you say that when the Invaders skip the husks altogether and send two or three Walkers your way," I muttered just loud enough for the Lieutenant to hear me.

"What was that, civvie?" he said, even though he clearly heard what I muttered.

"I said, your aggressive actions have placed all civilians in danger," I replied, repeating what Ducard said moments before. "Ducard, what responses were you considering before I walked in?"

"Winters is to be tried by civilian jury on the charges of insubordination and recklessness," Ducard responded, much to the distaste of the Lieutenant's lackies. "And, if his officers continue to raise their voice in a discussion they do not belong in, they shall face similar charges." Immediately, they quieted down and offered no more words of protest. "Good. We will also enact relocation protocols. I'm not leaving anything to chance when civilians are involved."

"And should I be found guilty?" Winters asked, although there was more contempt in his voice than worry. The way he was dealing with what would essentially be exile was unnerving, to say the least.

"You will be given one day's worth of supplies and sent in the opposite direction in which we are moving. From that point on, you shall be considered hostile and shot on sight. Is that clear?" I winced slightly at the severity of the Captain's punishment; life outside the Hollow wasn't difficult, it was nonexistent. Patrolling packs of husks would hunt you down if you approached the city, and there was little food or water to be had on the outside. Some tried to find other human settlements to the west, but they never returned. Whether they found a new life or a slow death is unknown to even Ducard himself.

Ducard clearly wasn't taking this well. I know the two of them were close at the beginning of the War, but their differing opinions had forced them apart. Now, he was essentially exiling his former best friend. It looked like he had gained ten years in the span of five minutes, the events obviously taking a toll on him.

"I haven't been convicted yet, _Captain_," Winters spat, making no effort to hide the venom in his voice. With that, he left the room, his small following right behind him. Ducard let out a sigh, taking a seat in one of the chairs at the conference table and placing his head between his hands.

"I don't like this, John," I said as the door closed behind them. "I know he's not a fan of me, nor I of him, but his actions were extremely reckless. Even for him. He was way too calm about the sentencing part, too."

"You felt that too, then?" Ducard replied, looking at me intently. "This was a hard decision, Alex. I've served with him for four years, including during the Seven Hours War. He's like a brother to me. This… it isn't like him."

"Do you think foul play is involved?" I asked, gesturing towards the creepy artifact in the center of the table. "Shen has pointed out that the Invaders tend to find unique ways of infiltrating us."

"What, you mean indoctrination?" Ducard answered, slightly surprised. However, he took a moment to consider that and pinched the bridge of his nose with his right index finger and thumb. "I know that artifact is fucking weird, Alex, but I don't know whether or not if it is capable of indoctrinating people. If it is…"

"That's one hell of a trap they planned," I finished, taking a seat to the Captain's right. "I can ask Shen to look into it. In the meantime, have someone get that thing as far away from here as possible. Also, if I were you, I'd staff some guards until we finish the trial."

"If Winters is indoctrinated, so are those who went with him," Ducard realized a moment later. "Damn it, Alex, that's a quarter of our forces. I certainly hope you're wrong, or we've lost a lot of good men and women today.." He paused to consider something. "I'll put the other soldiers on alert and tell them to keep an eye on Winters and his men." I nodded and made my way towards the door. "Alex, I don't know what Shen does to the indoctrinated once they've revealed their allegiance. I leave that to him, as he's the one whose best suited with dealing with this sort of thing. Just… make sure that Winters… _all _of them… make absolutely sure that they are what you think they are."

"Shen's good at what he does, John," I assured him. "He'll be able to tell whether or not Winters is an Invader spy or if he's just a dumbass."

"That does little to comfort me," the grizzly captain replied. "On one hand, we're sending him to his death with a pack of limited food and water. On the other, he's been dead since yesterday and we're executing the monstrous husk that has taken his place… Either way, the Daniel Winters I've known for four years will be dead by tomorrow."

I didn't have any good way to respond to that, so I simply nodded towards him and made my way out of the command building, leaving the aged veteran to deal with the consequences of what he had just done.

* * *

><p>"I already know what you want," Shen shouted as I entered the chapel following the meeting with Captain Ducard. "And I'm already on it. Winters and the others that went on patrol were brought in as part of a mandatory indoctrination examination as part of protocol. I figured you made the same connections I had and decided to alter the results to maintain anonymity."<p>

"I'm sorry, you lost me at 'mandatory indoctrination examination,'" I replied, walking down the aisle of the chapel. "You already _know _whether or not they're indoctrinated?"

"No, don't be stupid," Shen replied, turning from the window he was gazing out of to face me. "I never know when someone is indoctrinated until they tell me themselves. It's simply a battle of wits until someone gives up first. This was merely the intelligence gathering portion of the battle."

"What'd you discover?" I asked. Shen's methods of detecting indoctrination are unknown, even to me. He has a nearly perfect streak, though, so I tend to trust his judgment. And he swears that the one to get through was a fluke.

"Nothing incriminating yet, but I do have something," Shen answered, sitting down in front of me like I had earlier. "I'm basing this off of all of the mandatory psyche profiles Ducard put in place following the discovery of indoctrination, so their accuracy might not be where we want it to, but it is definitely a lead."

"Is this going to be as long as one of your sermons, or…" I scoffed, earning a scornful gaze from the pastor. "Sorry."

"What I'm trying to say is that almost everyone that went on the mission has had a spike in aggression upon returning. Like I said, nothing incriminating, just more defensive towards being questioned or being quicker to anger. It could also be a result of engaging the alien forces; not very many people face them en masse and live to tell the tale, so they're probably suffering from traumatic stress," Shen explained.

"Many of them have been on the frontlines since the Fall," I pointed out, and Shen nodded.

"Those are the ones we have to watch out for, because they've been exposed to Invader technology more than most civilians," Shen agreed. "However, the levels of aggression were fairly uniform across the board; that's our selling point. Everyone responds to hostile stimuli differently, resulting in different levels of different emotions following the traumatic event. These guys, however, _all _suffer from increased aggression at approximately the _same _rate. Make sense?"

"Basically, something is pissing all of these people off, and you think it might be a result of Invader influence," I replied, nodding. "Could it be Ducard's decision to try Winters with a civilian jury? I mean, they lost people trying to get that artifact. They could see Ducard's punishment towards Winters as pissing on those who died getting it."

"Again, that's another variable. That's what makes determining whether or not people are indoctrinated so difficult," Shen answered, shaking his head in frustration. "If I could do a full psyche evaluation without tipping them off, I could give you an answer by tomorrow. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. If they are indoctrinated, they're being controlled by a hyper-advanced supercomputer mounted on a war machine over one hundred and fifty meters tall. Outmaneuvering them once they know we know they're indoctrinated will be… difficult, to say the least."

"So what do you suggest we do until you come up with a definite answer?" I asked, thinking more of Captain Ducard's safety than my own.

"Honestly, the only thing you can do is get some kind of protection. Ducard needs to have a guard stationed at his quarters at all times; he's the most at risk because, without him, the military branch of the Hollow will be in disarray. You, however, are also at risk. Killing you would demoralize the civilian population. Not to mention Winters hated you _before _he was indoctrinated. One thing I've learned while dealing with indoctrinated people is that, until they become husks, they still maintain _some _semblance of their former identity."

"So you think, between my rank among the civilians as well as Winters' hatred towards me, I could be at risk?" I interjected, confused as to whether why Shen considered me a strategic asset in the eyes of the Invaders.

"Even without his personal vendetta, you would still be at risk," Shen answered with a nod. "Look, carry a pistol around with you for the time being. I'll tell Ducard what I told you, and we can meet again at the end of the week and discuss whatever more intelligence I've gathered."

"Sounds like a-"

The chapel doors burst open, revealing a frantic soldier rushing towards us as if he were running from a Walker. Given the current topic of discussion, Shen placed his hand on the holster he always kept on his belt, ready to draw it at a moments notice. "Alex, Father Michael. I bring news from the Gate."

"The Gate?" Shen said, just as surprised as I was. "If something were happening at the Gate, why wouldn't you alert Captain Ducard?"

"It isn't the Invaders, sir," the soldier answered, gasping for oxygen as if he were out of breath. "It's a man. He calls… It's bullshit, sir, but he calls himself the Oracle. He's asked for the two of you personally. Used your names. Figured that you'd know him. Not sure if it was someone you two knew before the Seven Hours War."

I looked at Shen, where I realized he had already locked his gaze upon me. It wasn't like the gaze of scorn he had given me prior, but rather a look of complete wonder and confusion. At that point, I questioned whether or not Shen really did know everything there is to know about indoctrination. Regardless, I was going to have to make a decision within the next few hours.

Kill the Oracle, or the Hollow will burn.

* * *

><p>Note: The Oracle arrives. Winters is a bastard, but <em>is <em>he indoctrinated? And Shen knows _way_ too much about indoctrination for someone supposed to be preaching religious text. Curiouser and curiouser… Find out the truth _next chapter!_

End Communication.


	4. Chapter 3: The Oracle

Shattered Realities

Book One: Broken

by Kyle Mason

"_Sometimes a loss is the best thing that can happen. It teaches you what you should have done next time."_

_-The Wise and Noble Snoop Dogg_

_No, Seriously._

Chapter Three: The Oracle

**Phoenix City Limits, Ruined Earth**

**Ten Months after the S.H.W.**

**Alexander Strauss**

Shen and I couldn't get outfitted in our combat equipment fast enough. Even though I am the leader of the civilians, I still have had combat experience - who hasn't, at this point - and, thus, I have a reserved equipment cache, just like the other soldiers. I was a bit rusty at this point, having been leader of the civilians for only three months after the last one was killed in a husk raid, but I was still a formidable opponent. Compared to husks, at any rate; I'm not sure how well I'd fare against this Oracle character.

"Any idea if it's going to rain tomorrow night?" Shen asked with a hint of humor in his voice. I looked at him with a confused expression, unsure as to what the hell he was talking about. "'Cause, you know, if you're going to start having prophetic visions, I'd like to know if the sermon under the stars tomorrow is going to get rained out."

"I think we have bigger issues at hand, Shen," I growled as I loaded a magazine into the assault rifle I had pulled off of the weapons rack. Since the scouting patrol returned earlier, all of the good stuff was back in stock; I even managed to snag a grenade off of one of the scouts' tactical vests. I don't know what I'd need it for, but the small explosive felt right at home in my right breast pouch. "You sure you aren't just full of shit when it comes to this indoctrination stuff?"

"I've been known to be wrong in the past," Shen replied, maintaining a serious expression on his face. "Fortunately for you, I've mastered my art. You're clean as a whistle, man. I promise."

"Oh? And how can you be so sure?"

"Intelligence, cunning, and a hint of divine inspiration," he answered with a grin on his face. "I don't know why you're so worried. He asked for _both _of us. I don't suppose your prophecy dream told you what this Oracle guy had in store for me?"

"Nope. All I was told was that I had to kill him. Maybe _he _can provide us with some answers," I pointed out, and Shen nodded. After that, we came to a silent agreement: figure out who the hell this Oracle character is. Once we had all of our equipment in place, Shen and I left the armory and made our way towards the Gate.

The Gate is essentially a kill zone designed to capture as many husks in a crossfire as possible. Husks operate on a very basic programming that doesn't tend to adapt; they're cannon fodder, why would they _need _to adapt? This idea manifests in the form of the eight foot walls of debris we had constructed in our small stay in this region of the suburbs. The husks take one look at the debris and decide to find a way around it. Doing so will take them to the Crossfire, where two machine gunners armed with mounted 50 cals mow them down. The machine gunners are constantly fed more ammunition while sharpshooters station themselves on the walls and pick off any husks that managed to get through. Past them are the Gates; needless to say, very few husks managed to see the Gate, and those who do aren't able to get enough numbers to take it down.

We reached the choke point to see a man dressed in what I could only describe as extremely advanced ceramic armor being watched by four guards, all of them pointing various weapons at him. I could tell that he was male based on his physique; he stood over six feet tall with a rather bulky frame that indicated he was fairly strong. His armor was completely black, except in some areas that had been scarred during combat. There were several claw marks that told me he had done several bouts with the husk hordes and lived to tell the tale - the sign of a competent soldier. His face was hidden behind a helmet that appeared to be locked into position by pressurized seals on his neck. "Ah, there they are! Guys, can you _please _tell them to put down their guns?"

"We haven't the slightest clue who you are," Shen replied, approaching him with the implication of aggression. "So, if you don't start giving us some answers, they won't put down their weapons… they'll pull their triggers."

The man looked up and met Shen's gaze, where I presumed he was staring back with a similar look in his eyes. "Didn't you get a message that I'd be here?"

"I was told to kill you, does that count?" I asked, causing the massive form of the Oracle to look in my direction.

"I suppose, but could you disregard that first part? I'd very much like to remain… alive," he replied. It was then that I realized his voice was synthesized; we might as well had been talking to a robot. "Look. I've got intelligence on the… _Invaders _that I know you'll find interesting." He appeared as if he was fumbling for the right words, which made me even more skeptical as to what his purpose was. Shen, however, nodded. He had officially entered interrogation mode.

"Alex, dismiss the guards. You… Oracle… you're coming with us. Any sign of hostility or violence and I'll blow your head off myself. Understood?" It was truly incredible how Shen could go from noble and forgiving pastor mode to death threats and manipulation at the

"Yes, _Father_," the Oracle replied. I was unsure whether he was using Shen's title as intended or as an ironic use of the word, but Shen didn't seem to pick up on it. I looked at the guards and nodded, indicating that they could put their weapons away and return to their post.

Shen and the Oracle were already half way back to the chapel when I was done dealing with the guards. Shen was pushing him forward, aiming his handgun at the back of his head. A few spectators had showed up, but the guards from earlier quickly shooed them away. I gestured for one of them to come over here, and they obeyed. "Yes, sir?"

"Tell Ducard we're in the chapel for an interrogation and we're not to be disturbed. He'll understand."

"Got it, sir."

Shen kicked the doors to the chapel open and shoved the Oracle inside. Behind them, I grabbed a hold of the two doors and pulled them back shut. Luckily, this door still had an operational lock, so I made liberal use of it. "You can start by taking off your helmet."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I got into a bout with a Walker, and it's laser kind of welded my helmet shut. Unless you've got access to industrial strength pliers, I'm afraid you're going to have to deal with the anonymity," the Oracle replied. Shen stared at him for a few moments before nodding, accepting his story.

"Fine. We've got a few questions, and -"

"Allow me to save us both some time," the Oracle said, cutting Shen off. "Lieutenant What's-His-Name and his lackeys, the guys you're looking into? They're indoctrinated. Shen, you can confirm that, given your… gift." A moment of silence filled the room until one of us spoke up.

"How do you know about that?" Shen asked, taken off guard by his willingness to cooperate. I myself was confused as to why Shen was taken off guard.

"You can sense it. There's something _cold _about people who are indoctrinated, as if they no longer have a soul. You can pick up on that. So go ahead and tell your friend that you _know _that there are armed, indoctrinated soldiers in the Hollow _right now_," the Oracle answered, pulling himself up into one of the pews. I looked over at Shen, who was refusing to make eye contact with me.

"Shen?"

"Winters and his soldiers _are _indoctrinated," Shen said far too quickly for comfort. "I've always been able to see them. But I can't just _say _that, or you'd all think I'm crazy! Like I'm going around accusing people like that McCarthy guy in the 50's!"

"So, what, you were just going to let Winters and his men _kill Ducard?!_" I exclaimed, growing furious at my best friend. I couldn't believe this! I've trusted Shen since the Seven Hours War, and he's been lying through his teeth this entire time.

"What? No! I had to figure something out, to make it obvious that Winters was indoctrinated! I need _proof _before I can just accuse someone of that!"

"Is that how you knew I wasn't indoctrinated when I told you about the dream?" I asked, dropping my voice down to a whisper.

"...Yeah, it is. Look, we can talk about all of this later! I want to know who the heck this guy is!" Shen shouted, pointing his pistol once again at the Oracle.

"Shen had his reasons, Alex. I assure you," the Oracle added, but Shen interrupted by smacking him upside the head with the butt of his pistol. "Damn, good thing I'm wearing a helmet, or that would've hurt…"

"Start. Talking."

"Seriously, I only had five minutes to talk to you guys before everything went to hell, and you blew all of it arguing about a stupid white lie. So, for just _thirty seconds_, how about _you _guys shut the hell up and let _me _talk." Shen and I looked at each other, him obviously aware at how pissed off I was, but we allowed him to talk regardless. "Okay, good. It goes without saying that the Invaders told _you _to off me. Well, thanks for not doing that, first of all. The reason they want to kill me is because I can help you _stop _them."

"I'm not sure how one man could stop an alien invasion that outnumbers us, out-guns us, and is just simply more _advanced _than us," Shen replied with a skeptical look on his face.

"You're right, I'm just a single man. But I can offer you the opportunity to give your people another chance. You'll lead the charge against the Invaders, but you'll have an army at your backs. You've just gotta trust me," the Oracle explained.

"How can we trust you if-"

"You said everything goes to hell in five minutes…" I interjected, cutting Shen off. The Oracle nodded, gesturing with a hand to the door behind us.

"I know I just gave a whole speech on giving you an opportunity to save yourselves, but you don't really have a choice. In about thirty seconds, Lieutenant Winters is going to stage a coup against Captain Ducard, put a warrant out for your arrests, and bring the wrath of the Invaders down on the Hollow," the Oracle answered, shrugging as if what he had said wasn't that big of a deal. At that moment, it felt as if my heart skipped a beat; the Hollow, our home for the past ten months and perhaps the last bastion of mankind, was about to be destroyed by Winters and his men. Shen and I looked at each other for a second before running up to the windows at the front of the chapel. The courtyard was completely empty. "That's why I'm glad you didn't kill me on sight. The Invaders were going to stage the coup regardless of whether or not you obeyed them." As the morning rolled into its eleventh hour, I let go of my breath. Perhaps this Oracle character really was full of it.

That was when I saw him. At the Gate. Several guards were flanking Lieutenant Winters as they approached the command center. I looked towards the armory where the weapons were stored, and the guard wasn't present; either he had joined Winters' coup or was killed for denying them access. "We've got to do something," I whispered to Shen.

"Only if you want to get yourselves killed," the Oracle said from his spot on the pew. "The alternative is far more favorable, in my opinion." I ignored him and ran up to the chapel doors and unlocked them. "I really wouldn't go out there, Alex."

"Shen, come on," I said, but he didn't budge from his place at the window. I tried to open the door, but a strange blue force enveloped the handle. A small shock caused me to yelp in surprise; not enough to hurt me, but it still caught me off guard. "What the hell?" I shouted, looking back to the Oracle. His hand was extended, a blue and violet field covering from the tips of his fingers to the shoulder joint. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Saving the Hollow. And Earth. If you go out there and stop Winters, the Invaders will kill you. Your life is too important to waste on an impulse," the Oracle replied vaguely.

"My life isn't more important than anyone else's out _there_!" I shouted, pointing to the magically-locked door. "All of them are to die, when I can do _something _to help them? Like hell am I staying here!"

"There's far more at stake than their lives," the Oracle responded, maintaining his calm and collected state. "Just ask your friend. He's been silent since I made the offer." I realized he was right, causing me to turn and look at Shen, who had turned away from the window and was holding the small metal cross around his neck.

"Shen?"

"The Oracle knows things no one should ever know," Shen muttered, letting the cross go back to its position on top of his shirt. "He's not indoctrinated. He's certainly not from around here," the pastor said, gesturing to the Oracle's scarred, futuristic armor. "Perhaps his words have wisdom yet."

"You can't be serious…" I whispered, making an advance on my friend. "Shen, tell me you're fucking _joking!"_

"What does this... alternative entail?" Shen asked, ignoring my pleas.

"A new life. One in a time period where technological marvels will make it so that you have a fighting chance against the Invaders. Make no mistake, they will come. But this time, you will be able to fight back."

"Shen, what the hell are you doing?"

"And this world?" Shen continued.

"It will be here, waiting. Survive in the next world, and you will have your army to retake this one."

Silence filled the chapel. Shen looked out the window longingly, as if he were witnessing the Arrival all over again. I heard cries come from outside as civilians fled the scene. I attempted to open the door again, but instead of the blue energy field, a hand grabbed my arm instead. I looked to my left and saw Shen, stopping me. "We can fix this. All of it."

"You actually believe him?!" I shouted, completely appalled by what my friend was doing.

"Sometimes, you have to make a difficult decision. You have to trust those you barely know, because if you don't… others suffer the consequences," the Oracle narrated, despite the fact that Shen and I weren't listening.

"If there's even a _chance_, Alex… How does he know about us? About my power? There has to be _some _truth to what he's saying."

I was about to offer a rebuttal, but it was cut short by a loud bang from outside, followed by screaming. I turned away, unwilling to see the events unfold outside. One shot turned into several, and all of a sudden, the Hollow courtyard turned into a warzone. I couldn't bring myself to look out the window; the idea of seeing Ducard, a friend for the duration of this hell we've been thrust in, with a bullet in his head was not a sight I've ever relished seeing.

"I sure hope you're right, Shen. Because if you aren't… their deaths are on you."

For a moment, there was silence in the chapel. Shen refused to make eye contact with me, and the Oracle nodded his head before sitting up from the pew. He pulled up some kind of advanced wrist tool, punched in a few buttons, and looked at me. "I know this is a difficult choice-"

"_I wasn't given a choice_," I hissed, my voice echoing in the chapel. The sounds of battle outside drowned it out quickly; at this point, gunfire was the least of our concerns, as the steady roar of husks approaching the Hollow was ringing in my ears.

"You have to understand, Alex, that there is more at stake here than just the Hollow. Any sacrifices made here will lead to the endurance of the human race as a whole," the Oracle explained, powering down his wrist tool.

"I already agreed, you fucking bastard," I said, looking over at Shen. The pastor continued to avoid my gaze, choosing to, instead, focus on praying to a God that had abandoned us long ago. "Get on with it."

"As you say," the Oracle muttered. He grabbed ahold of our wrists, gripping them tightly as his hands began to glow a strange bluish-purple pigment. I felt energy flow into my arm, sending shock-like spasms throughout my body. I attempted to pull away, to stop him from whatever he was doing. Shen looked at me with an expression of despair, thinking that he had walked us into a trap. It was then that I noticed the Oracle looking at me. And, even though he had a helmet on, I still felt as if I could see his lips move to mouth two words.

_I'm sorry._

And with that, we plunged into darkness; darkness that felt far too familiar for comfort.

* * *

><p>Note: This chapter is supposed to feel rushed. It is supposed to be choppy. It isn't supposed to make a lot of sense. Feel free to ask questions. Just don't get mad if I don't answer them, because odds are, they'll get answered in the story. Just a heads up.<p>

End Communication.


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